Organised and founded by a mother and daughter team, Fiona Hewitt and Trishana Fearon, The Mr & Miss West Indies UK Beauty Pageant is a pageant supporting both male and female contestants with West Indies or Caribbean backgrounds. Unlike other pageants, Mr & Miss West Indies UK isn’t all about glam, it’s about what the contestants can do, speaking out, and having a voice about the things you strongly believe in.
“The pageant focuses more on giving these young people from similar backgrounds the opportunity to come together in a pageant setting,” explains Trishana, “to build relationships with others, work diligently and leave a positive impact in the community”
Taking place on the 21st August 2016 at the Open Door in Crystal Palace, and to be hosted by White Yardie, Mr & Miss West Indies UK is about beauty with every purpose, with the winners being ambassadors for the West Indian diaspora, gaining the chance to visit their own country of representation as well as doing projects in the UK and their country.
A seasoned pageant contestant herself, Trishana decided to take all of the best parts of the pageants she has been a part of, and put them all into one pageant that will set the bar for others. “I’ve learnt from my experiences to improve upon my own pageant,” beams Trishana, “myself and my mum, we do it as a team.”
With 11 islands to be represented at this years event across both the male and female categories, there has been no short of logistical work for Trishana and her team to organise since the pageants conception in December 2015 as she revealed; “The King and Queen will have the chance to visit their own island of representation, including a day in parliament with the leaders and a charity event in the community. All of this is already in place, having spoken with all of the islands to let them know what our aim is, with accommodation already sourced too!”
“During their reigning year, The King and Queen will also have a number of engagements back on home soil, with newspaper, radio and television interviews as well as awards shows and events, all while spending a lot of time with their High Commissioner as well.”
There are a number of categories that contestants will be competing for on the night, including Best Smile Male & Female, Most Photogenic Male & Female, Contestant with the Most Dedication and Excellence, Best Runway/Pageant Walks sponsored by Born To Model TV, King and Queen, 1st & 2nd Runner Up – Male, 1st & 2nd Runner Up – Female, Peoples Choice Male & Female, Most Influential Male & Female – based on Charity work & fundraising of each contestant, Best Sportswear – Male, Best Swimwear – Female, Best Evening Gown & Best Mens Formal Wear, Most Talented Male & Female.
What also separates Mr & Miss West Indies UK from other pageants is the camaraderie between the contestants. Building teamwork through residential retreats and activities, the group have already grown close, requesting more frequent sessions together between now and the show itself.
While entries are closed for this years contestants, tickets are on sale for the event in August, so make sure you get your tickets booked soon as this looks set to be one event you don’t want to miss.
